The End of the Sky
by palezale3
Summary: Alfred was always intruiged by the universe, along with all of its mysteries. Little had he known, Ivan, a boy whose family had just immigrated to America, was also intruiged.
1. Space, ahoy!

Alfred had always liked the thought of flying, or even exploring space, travelling outside of this little galaxy he seemed so stuck in. He dreamt of flying so far, so high, that he could find where the sky ended and where the universe began, stretching out farther than he could imagine. He dreamt of touching the stars, flying along next to countless meteors and asteroids, zipping and weaving his way between millions and billions of planets. He dreamt of exploring new and uncharted worlds, of discovering unique life forms— life forms that couldn't be found anywhere other than the one planet they inhabited.

When he discovered that Ivan dreamt of the same things, Alfred felt absolutely ecstatic. While his friends disregarded such dreams as silly, childish, and unrealistic, this Ivan felt the same way Alfred did. Ivan wanted to explore new worlds, discover new things. Alfred never would have thought that he would have something in common with the quiet, strange Russian boy, but he did. He had his biggest dream in common with this boy, this boy he probably would have never muttered a word to if it hadn't been for second period Science.

Ivan's family had immigrated to the United States from Russia. He did not speak English very well, so he mostly spoke to himself in a quiet, but sometimes harsh voice. He sat two seats to the right of Alfred in Science.

Science was his favourite class. Science was full of surprises, endless possibilities. It was a subject Ivan could really, truly be himself in. He could explore new fields of research that were constantly popping up. He could get lost in the complex, detailed writings of researchers. He didn't have to worry about putting up his defences to protect himself from the world and the world from his dark, twisted mind.

Science was also Alfred's favourite class, for many of the same reasons. While he projected an energetic, happy and confident personality, Alfred was a complete and utter mess on the inside. He was quite an anxious person, although he did his best to hide it. He didn't need, nor did he want, people to worry about him. He wanted to worry about other people so that they could live their lives happily, without any major concerns. He wanted to protect everyone from the horrors of the world. The world was painted with such displeasing colours, yet they could be painted over. He wanted to be the hero for everyone.

Ivan, on the other hand, didn't try to be a hero. He tried to melt into his surroundings, wanting to remain unnoticed, a fly on the wall. He was wary of social interaction, fearing his sick mind.

What would he do if someone made him angry?

He decided he didn't want to think about it. He would much rather get lost in a book, trap himself in his own little world where he could do no harm. He too tried to protect others, albeit in a different way than Alfred. But he didn't want to be the hero.


	2. The Project

When the teacher put Ivan and Alfred together as partners, Ivan hadn't been particularly excited. Then he had learnt about Alfred's love of space. He realised that this boisterous American boy had the same passion, the same dream as him. There was no debating the fact that the two had a connection.

Alfred and Ivan were tasked with creating a 3D model of the solar system. Both were extremely excited. Ivan had the neater handwriting, so he wrote down every idea he and Alfred came up with. After a long, passionate discussion, the two decided to create their model out of styrofoam balls that they would paint over and connect with floral wire. Ivan would do all the writing, while Alfred would do the painting.

_Time to paint over the world's ugly colours..._

Of course, Alfred and Ivan would do the shopping part together. They decided that they would meet up after school at the local Walmart to see what they could find to incorporate into their model.

Alfred couldn't focus for the rest of the school day. His mind was working so fast, he didn't have time to fully comprehend every thought or word that entered into his head. He just kept thinking, never finishing a thought. Fragments of sentences we scattered all around his brain, and they would likely never become whole. Instead, they would remain strewn about his conscious until the next big idea came to him. Those fragments would never find their other fragments. They would always remain shattered and broken, never together.

When the bell rang for Dismissal, Alfred got out of the building as soon as he could. Instead of heading home, he headed for Walmart. Ivan probably wouldn't be there for another thirty minutes, but Alfred was okay with that. It would give him time to think and catch up with his reeling mind. It would also give him time to browse the isles of the store. He wanted to get a head start. Of course, this wasn't a competition. Alfred knew that, but he couldn't help but feel the need to challenge the Russian boy. He didn't know why, he just had to. There was just something about Ivan that made Alfred want to be better. The more Ivan pushed, the harder Alfred would push. Again, he wasn't sure why, but he had to.

After a half hour of browsing, Alfred came up to the store's entrance. Ivan was just walking in, so it was perfect timing.

Alfred eagerly ran up to Ivan. "Hey Ivan, there you are! What took you so long, dude?"

The only response was a mumble from Ivan. One that was barely audible. Alfred had absolutely no clue as to what the Russian boy was saying, so he shrugged it off and smiled as he grabbed Ivan's hand and led him across the store to find the materials they needed.

By the time they had gathered everything they wanted to incorporate into their project, they had been in the store for almost two hours. Alfred was just hoping that no one had noticed his absence. He didn't exactly tell his family where he was.

_Sometimes I wish I could be more like Matthew..._

After they had checked-out all of their items, the two left for home. They had decided earlier that Ivan would take all the supplies home. Alfred didn't have a problem with it, and Ivan didn't seem to have one, either.


	3. Мои сестры не оставят меня в покое!

As soon as Ivan got home, he went straight to his room with the bags full of project materials. Unfortunately, he didn't get very far befor Natalya and Katyusha stopped him.

It was Katyusha who struck up a conversation. "Эй! Ivan! Where are you going with those bags, brother?"

"It none of your business, Katyusha. Go aw—" He never did get to finish off the sentence, for Natalya had pounced like a lioness and was pushing him down onto the ground.

"Big brother, where are you _going? _And _what _are the bags for?" She spoke in an almost threatening tone, one that made even Ivan want to cry and run away. It wasn't that he didn't like her, or she would beat him up, it was just that, quite frankly, Natalya was an intimidating person by nature.

Fortunately, Ivan could counter with a more threatening and harsh tone. "I going to my _room, _Natalya. Do you have _problem?_" It was enough of a harsh tone to get Natalya to release him from her grip, and it was also enough to scare off Katyusha, who was already halfway down the hall.

_Why can't I scare away Natalya like that...? No, I can. I can. I just haven't _tried _hard enough. Not yet. What's she hiding behind that fake personality she projects? She's actually really sweet, right? Maybe I can use that to my advantage..._

Ivan smirked. "Hey, Natalya," he said teasingly. "Guess what?"

"_What?"_

You're weak."

"...What?"

"You are _weak._"

"I am _not_!"

"Дa, you _are. _You could _barely_ keep me down! If I would have actually tried to break away, I would have pushed you off _easily_!"

"I-I... Нет...! I _not _weak...! I not..." Ivan could see his little sister's eyes tearing up as she turned and ran away down the hall. Did Ivan feel bad? Of course. Did he have any regrets? No. He had done what he had to do, it was all perfectly justified. Or so he thought. Other people would likely argue that it wasn't right, that he should never make his sisters cry on purpose. But did Ivan care about other people's opinions? No. Not with a family this dysfunctional.

With a triumphet smile, Ivan picked up his bags and walked into his bedroom, where he would be free from his sisters. Was he going to be in a ton of trouble when his parents got home and Katyusha told them everything? Most definitely. But he couldn't care less at the moment.


	4. Alfred’s Assessment

Alfred was a little confused when Ivan wasn't at school for first period. When he wasn't there for second period, he was slightly concerned. By the end of the school day, Alfred had gone through several states of worry. He even tried texting Ivan when he got home, but Ivan didn't respond. He was starting to get _really_ worried.

It wasn't until after Alfred had eaten dinner that Ivan responded to his texts.

_Sorry, I wasn't feeling good today._

A sense of relief fell over Alfred like a tidal wave.

_Oh, okay! Will you be at school tomorrow?_

It took Ivan a minute to reply.

_Yes. I have to go now, though._

_Alright, see you tomorrow!_

Alfred never got a further response. It wasn't until school the next day that he heard from Ivan again. He should have been happy to see the Russian boy again, but this time, an overbearing wave of concern fell came over him, crushing him. Ivan had bruises all the way up his neck, and a black eye that stuck out like a flamingo in a flock of pigeons. To Alfred, it seemed that Ivan had gotten into a fight. At least, that was what seemed most probable. He wondered if Ivan won. He hoped Ivan had won. But another part of him wanted to pummel whoever had done this to the ground. How dare they get his friend. Friend? Was that the right word? Alfred wasn't quite sure. But he didn't have to his be his friend for Alfred to want to protect him. He didn't want anyone harming someone he had come to know and like. He wasn't going to ask at first, but his curiousity eventually got the better of him, seeming to burn a hole in Alfred's concious until he could no longer take the pain.

"Hey Ivan, dude! Are you okay? What's up with the bruises and black eye?"

"Wha- Oh. Those. I got into a fight yesterday on the way to school..."

Ivan didn't _want_ to answer. Alfred could just _feel _it. He wanted to pry for more of an answer, feeling that he wasn't getting the whole truth, but decided it would be better to leave Ivan in peace. If he didn't want to answer, Alfred had no right to _make _him answer. But he couldn't help but wonder if that was how Ivan had been _really _gotten those bruises. Ivan was sending off strong vibes of lying, and Alfred was worried. Was everything _okay_? Did he need help? Was he in some kind of trouble? Would he be okay? Alfred's mind was racing. He felt as if something were seriously, _dangerously _wrong with Ivan, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. It was such a horrible feeling, a wall of anxiety tumbling down with him right underneath the landing point of the rubble. Alfred was a little scared, but why? He wasn't completely sure, and it was _really _messing with him.

Of course, dwelling on it wouldn't help him any. Alfred had been zoned out all throughout first period, but he knew he wouldn't stay that way through second period. The teacher was giving the entire class a day to get with their partner and work on their project. Alfred was particularly excited, and he was sure Ivan was, as well. But he still just couldn't ignore the bruises up Ivan's neck. They were so prominent, so obvious. He knew he shouldn't stare; that was rude. But he couldn't help but constantly glance over at Ivan's neck. He was worried. He was sure it was just a typical fight, though. Nothing else.

**Author's Notes**

Okay, I know these chapters are very short. And I also know that I use the word 'but' a lot. I'm sorry. Please bare with me. I would love to write longer chapters, but I'm struggling to find the inspiration to continue past a few paragraphs. Once again, I apologise. Thank you.


End file.
